ANU Poll 2009: Defence

This poll is the fourth in an ongoing series of polls being undertaken by the Social Research Centre for the ANU. Their purpose is to assess Australians' opinions on important and topical issues, with an emphasis on international comparisons. These polls are typically conducted three times a year, or about every four months. Some questions appear in every poll in order to provide information about changes in opinion over time; the majority of questions appear in one poll only. This research is used to inform public debate and policy about issues affecting Australia. The main focus of this poll was on attitudes and opinions toward issues regarding defence. Variables include opinions about the way Australia is heading; the biggest problems facing Australia today; the strength of the Australian Defence Forces; the activities of the Australian Defence Forces; issues relating to terrorist attacks; the war in Afghanistan; and Australia's alliance with the United States. Background variables include gender, age, household composition, country of birth, highest level of education, employment status and income.